Back from the Blazers practice facility where four players showcased their talents for the Nate McMillan, Kevin Pritchard and the rest of the Blazers staff. The players are: Lester Hudson (Tenn-Martin SG-PG), Jaycee Carroll (Utah State/SG). J.J. Hickson (NC State/PF) and James Gist (Maryland/PF). For a little preview on each, click here.

McMillan said this was probably the best conditioned group he's had yet and, from the little we saw, the players put on a pretty good show. The media was allowed to view about the last 20 minutes of the workout, which included some two-on-two and shooting drills. Here's what stood out to me:

- Lester Hudson is a powerful guard. A couple of times he got the ball low and bullied his way to the rim over Jaycee Carroll. Strong like bull.

- J.J. Hickson and James Gist are both physical specimens with great athleticism. A couple of times during the two-on-two, Hickson would step out on the guard and deflect a pass or disrupt one out top, with enough time to recover and find his man.

- Of the forwards, Gist looked like the better shooter from 15. McMillan described Carroll as a "sniper." The guards shot 10 threes from five spots around the arc and both had their shots poppin' today, but Carroll is mean from deep.

All in all, I could see each of these players finding a roster spot in the league. As I wrote earlier, Hickson is a borderline first rounder (as a freshman) with huge upside. He needs to work on his shot a bit as it was a bit inconsistent today, although that could be attributed to nerves. Gist seems to fit that tweener role, a PF mentality in SF body. He showed great range and consistency in his shot today. Carroll seemed a bit undersized, listed at 6'2", but could be that streak, off-the-bench shooter. He averaged near %50 beyond the arc last season. Hudson could be a starting PG in this league someday. He showed a good shot from three, ability to create and seemingly score at will, along with decent size at 6'1" or 6'2". Both Hudson and Hickson are yet to hire an agent and have the ability to return to school, should they choose to. If Hickson were to play another year in college, he would almost certainly be a first rounder next year.

Here, James Gist talks about his workout with the Blazers and other clubs, along with his college experience: